Alarmed at the rising incidence of lawsuits filed by aggrieved examinees, the Calcutta University (CU) authorities, in an attempt to strengthen its examination system and to ensure “mistake-free ” results, has transferred a number of employees to the university’s controller of examinations department.

With barely a month left for this year’s major under-graduate examinations, like BA, B.Sc and B.Com, at least 24 employees posted at various CU departments have been given key postings in the controller of examinations department.

Sources in the university said the purpose of the transfers is to increase the staff strength of the department, so that the entire process of examination-related jobs is conducted with as much “perfection” as possible.

“The volume of examination-related jobs is increasing with the rising number of new courses and examinees every year. The controller of examinations department has been provided with additional staff so that it can manage the increasing workload in a proper manner,” said M.R. Ghosh Dastidar, CU deputy registrar.

He, however, said the departments from where the employees had been transferred need not worry, as the demand in the examinations department was “seasonal”. The staff will be sent back to their original departments after the under-graduate exams are held and the results published after six months.

The exams are expected to be taken by more than 1.5 lakh students this year. Nearly 15 lakh answer-scripts are required to be examined only for the under-graduate exams.

The sudden transfer, however, has sparked off resentment among the heads of departments. They claim the transfers have created a vacuum in their departments and will affect their daily routine. They demanded the vacancies be filled without delay. They also regretted the fact that the authorities had not informed them before the transfers.

Some of the departments from where the employees have been transferred include chemistry, computer science, chemical engineering, applied physics, geography, pure physics and applied psychology.

“Two of our employees who have been transferred were responsible for some very important work. Their absence will affect the holding of practical classes and the students will suffer. We appreciate the university’s move to strengthen the examinations department. But the authorities should consider the fact that imparting proper teaching is also an important activity of the university,” said a teacher of an affected department.

Budhadeb Chattopadhay, secretary, Calcutta University Employees’ Unity Centre, said a memorandum had been submitted to vice-chancellor Asis Kumar Banerjee, demanding withdrawal of the transfer order.